Bill > SB1627

This bill amends the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to provide additional protections for religious institutions during emergencies. Specifically, the bill establishes that any government-issued order, rule, regulation, or directive that requires closing or limiting a place of worship - even if the order applies generally to all organizations - will automatically be considered a "substantial burden" on religious exercise. This means that such orders would face stricter legal scrutiny under the RFRA, which is a federal law designed to protect individuals' and organizations' religious freedom by requiring the government to demonstrate a compelling interest and use the least restrictive means when actions might substantially burden religious practices. The bill appears to be a response to restrictions placed on religious gatherings during events like the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that places of worship with a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status cannot be broadly restricted by emergency health or safety measures without meeting a high legal standard of justification.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1627&GAID=18&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=114&GA=104